The Federal High Court in Abuja has declined to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the Senator Adolphus Wabara-led Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In a judgment delivered on Friday, Justice Salim Ibrahim dismissed the suit seeking to validate actions taken on behalf of the party by the Tanimu Turaki (SAN)-led interim leadership.
The plaintiffs had asked the court to direct INEC to update its records by recognising the factional interim National Working Committee (NWC) led by Turaki and publish the list of its members on the commission’s official website.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026, was filed by Wabara alongside former Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu, Prof. Jerry Gana, Chief Olabode George, Hajiya Maryam Ciroma, Hajiya Zainab Maina, Dame Esther Uduehi and the PDP.
They argued that INEC was constitutionally bound to recognise the interim leadership based on previous court judgments and provisions of the PDP Constitution.
However, a faction of the party aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, challenged the court’s jurisdiction and sought to be joined in the suit.
The faction, led by its National Chairman, Alhaji Abdulrahman Mohammed, insisted it was the authentic leadership of the PDP and argued that the plaintiffs lacked the legal standing to institute the action.
In a ruling delivered before the substantive judgment, Justice Ibrahim granted the application for joinder, holding that the applicants’ interests would be affected by the outcome of the case.
The court subsequently upheld the preliminary objections raised by the respondents and struck out the suit for lack of jurisdiction.
Justice Ibrahim ruled that the case amounted to an abuse of court process because it sought to reopen issues that had already been determined by other courts.
He also struck out the PDP as a plaintiff, holding that there was no evidence the party authorised the institution of the suit in its name.
The judge further held that the matter had become academic, noting that INEC had already monitored the PDP convention that produced the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led executives.
According to the court, the dispute was not suitable for determination through an Originating Summons because of the contentious facts involved.
Justice Ibrahim also relied on existing court judgments that nullified the PDP convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November 2025, which produced the Turaki-led leadership.
The court consequently dismissed the suit in its entirety.
